"Because," says I, "you don't always act the same. And besides, you keep goin' with Charley King and George Heigold--and--and--" "And what?" says Mitch. "And--I was afraid you liked 'em better'n me." "Why," says Mitch, "them two boys is just grave diggers compared to you--or Rosencrantz and Guildenstern--while you are Horatio all the time." He explained to me what he meant by this, which was that in "Hamlet," Hamlet talked to grave diggers and to two men named Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, without givin' a snap for 'em compared to Horatio. Then I said, "I'm goin' out to the farm to-morrow. School will begin in about three weeks. I'm goin' out on my pony, and you can ride behind. And you'd better come. We'll have a lot of fun, and my uncle is goin' to take me campin' to Blue Lake." So Mitch said he'd go; and after a bit he began to repeat something he'd committed to memory. He was settin' in the grass, lookin' up at me, and his voice was so wonderful and sweet, sayin' these words: O, what can ail thee, knight at arms, Alone and palely loitering? The sedge is withered from the lake, And no birds sing. O, what can ail thee, knight at arms, So haggard and so woe-begone? The squirrel's granary is full, And the harvest's done. "I met a lady in the meads Full beautiful, a faery's child. Her hair was long, her foot was light, And her eyes were wild. "I saw pale kings and warriors too, Pale princes, death pale were they all. They said 'La Belle Dame sans Merci Hath thee in thrall.'" Mitch was goin' on with this when we heard some boys whistle. It was Charley King and George Heigold. They called Mitch to the fence and talked. Then Mitch called back and said, "I'm goin', Skeet--come for me--what time?" "I'll be up about seven," I said. And Mitch climbed over the fence, and went with these boys. I went up to the fence and follered them with my eyes till they turned the corner by Harris' barn and was gone. CHAPTER XXIX The next morning I was on my pony and up to Mitch's house at seven, and whistled and whistled. By and by one of the girls came out and said Mitch had staid all night at Charley King's and wasn't home yet. So I went over there; but he and Charley was up and gone already. Mrs. King came to the door, came out and stood by the pony and petted him and said I had pretty eyes, same as before. Then she said Charley and Mitch had gone somewhere. She didn't know where. So I rode off and rode around a bit and then I started for the farm, thinkin' that Mitch had treated me mean--and why would he for Rosencrantz or Guildenstern? whichever Charley King was. I was sure Mitch would turn up and the next day grandpa was goin' to town early to be home by three o'clock, and he said he'd bring Mitch out if he could find him.